Eddie the Eagle

Look, ignore the fact that the Jackman character was a composite of the numerous trainers that Edwards had. Ignore the awful background music between some relatively well chosen albeit, British pop music of the era. Ignore the face of Jim Broadbent as the possibly David Coleman commentator who dominates the Calgary final section of the film, why they had to concentrate on his face rather than just use his voice as a voice over I have no idea.
And ignore the fact that the real back story is even more amazing than the précised film version.

Then this is a decent little feel good film reminding you what a feat Edwards actually achieved. The stunts of the falling ski jumpers are some of the most realistic I have seen and the flying camera work are something to behold. And mountains covered in snow are always beautiful.

Go and see it and come out at the end with a smile on your face.

Good.

Natalie Merchant @ The Royal Albert Hall, London

A much waited for gig, never thought she would come over to the UK again so when the gig was announced, snapped up two tickets immediately although was rather disappointed with our location.
The ability to get even a half decent video clip disappeared fast, not only because of the ushers who were on the look out, but the sheer distance to the stage. My big Nikon was more than match for that but having a large screen showing would have curtailed that opportunity. Was in fact stopped videoing using the small GoPro I also came armed with, and still amazed that I was stopped because I thought I had disguised it in my hand rather well. Did shot off two songs but the result as I was aiming by instinct was not what I hoped for. Here is that evidence.

But the gig, a very pleasant two and a bit hours including three numbers sung in a continuous encore. She started the first number five times forgeting the lines to her own song. A first for me, was she nervous? That all disappeared once she got going. One number near the end she ended up crying with the emotion she had put into the song. Then at the end another sight I cant recall seeing before as she went down and hugged a large number of the audience.
The band consisted of keyboards, acoustic bass, drums and guitar and a string quartet. Several shouts for various songs was dismissed by reminding the audience that with a string quartet on stage, those sort of songs just would not get performed.
Midway through she gave a very tempered rant against Donald Trump, hoping that he would just implode.
So an evening of introspection, reflection and lament. and THE VOICE, which soared un-restrained through the vast domed cavern that is the RAH.
Final thought, she was rather respectful of the setting, her set totally fitting the venue.

wonder.land @ The National Theatre, London

At times, visually spectacular, musically a great disappointment. The lyricist should be shot imposing old style musical songs into an inner city urban environment. Albarn should also be shot for pandering to such crap, |What happened to Gorillaz, what happened to Blur.
This had the feel of under development, the basic concept is so good but has not been taken through to its logical, and theatrical conclusion, which is a shame on the NT.
If you get to see it, make sure you are in the centre with a viewpoint about head level with the actors. Olivier's stage is just to wide for the production.
And there is one jaw dropping moment that nearly was just worth the entrance fee alone.

Hail Caesar

 Mildly amusing which keeps a grin on your face throughout. One for the film buffs. The on-set sequences are the most interesting and captures the era so well.
Josh Brolin convincing as Mannix, the Hollywood fixer at the time, and on reflection, fixes his own part again in the Hollywood story.
It did however from very early on remind me of Punchdrunk's brilliant production of The Drowned Man (a Hollywood Fable) which we saw in the summer of 2013. I just wonder if the Coens saw that production as it appears that late in 2013 they took an old idea of the shelf and reinvented it.

Good

The Revenant

The first thirty minutes of this film is excellent, they dont come much better. The in your face steady-Cam is something to behold...cannot be faulted.
Thereafter it is all downhill, ponderous and over long. Worth an Oscar (or even two) not in my book.

New review ratings.
First thirty minutes - Excellent
Therafter - Just reasonable

The Big Short

A must see film.
Treats the audience with the respect due to the intellectual grasp you require to understand what the hell is going on.
Good central performances by Bale and Carell and to a lesser degree, Gosling. Nice little cameo from Brad Pitt and full marks to him for co producing.
Will reap a number of Oscars.
The scene of a naked woman (Margot Robbie) drinking champagne in the bath and explaining some  obscure trading terms and what they meant, was just pure joy.

9.5/10

Camille O'Sullivan @ The Roundhouse, Camden, London

Video of Camille's rendition of Nick Cave's The Ship Song

Looking forward to gig especially when I realised that it was to be 'In the round'. Along with a few photographs from her Facebook site showing what appeared to be the construction of illuminated stage props.
Did not look at the tickets when they arrived from Songkick who had alerted me to the gig and it was only on inspection when we arrived at the Roundhouse did it become obvious that this was a seated event, and we did not have a good location.
So it proved.
The gig was not in the round, but on a thrust stage, we were located stage left in the upper stalls and I had one of the cast iron columns right in my line of sight of the front of the stage.
Then to matters matters worse, the enlarged band from the last time we saw, were far too heavy, and I will point out the drummer and lead guitarist in that respect.
When the songs had little or no musical backing, all was great, but then in the act of unleashing some additional drama into the songs (which was not neccessary) the overwhelming and continuous thud thud from the drums and the scream of the guitar just drowned it all out.
The other half quite rightly commented that it made it sound amateur.
Nice little tribute to Bowie and I was surprised not to hear any mention of Wogan, who had passed away earlier in the day.
Late introduction of the 'Roundhouse Choir' was greatly appreciated and used to great effect on the final number, Nick Cave's The Ship Song. This I managed to video well as the couple in front of me had just left and I was able to from a human tripod with my legs and arms to steady the camera and also shot straight at the stage. Five efforts revealed that I was pointing to high as I tried to shot over the large head sitting down in front of me.